In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Red Jewel". The present variety was originated by us in 1981 in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was obtained by growing an open pollinated seed from an unnamed seedling. This unnamed seedling was previously developed as a cross of the selected seed parent, Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165), and the selected pollen parent, Autumn Free (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,976). Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed grandparent, the Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165), in fruit appearance by being a full red colored freestone nectarine with excellent firmness, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that ripens 3 days later, is larger in size, is crispier in texture, and has a yellow pit cavity that tightly surrounds the stone.
The present variety differs substantially from its selected pollen grandparent, the Autumn Free Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,976), by producing fruit that ripens approximately 65 days earlier and that is full red in color at harvest time.